Why Was A British Man Trying to a Smuggle a Bag Full of Roasted Fetuses into Taiwan?

Police in Bangkok yesterday arrested a man who had in his possession six roasted fetuses aged two to seven months. It was unclear how they were initially obtained.

"We have to send the bodies for forensic test to identify whether they were foetuses, removed illegally by abortion, or corpses of babies," said Lt. Col. Kittima Thongchai, who busted Chow Hok Kuen in the city's Chinatown district.

The 28-year-old British citizen of Taiwanese origin was reportedly attempting to smuggle the fetuses into Taiwan. He told investigators he purchased them on the Internet for $6,500, and was going to sell them for much more to people who planned to use them as good luck charms.

A black magic ritual known as Kuman thong — an effigy soaked in an extract made from stillborn babies meant to bring its owner prosperity — is apparently still practiced by some in the region.

Chow Hok Kuen, who says he was working for another man, now faces up to a year in prison, as well as a fine of 2,000 baht (~$65).